Freight car end construction



F. KIESEL, JR 1,334,952

FREIGHT cm END CONSTRUCTION Filed Sept. 25, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet l t. I 5 I WITNESSES INVENTOR:

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Dec. 8, 1931. w. KIESEL, JR 1,334,952

FREIGHT CAR END CONSTRUCTION Filed Sept. 25, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG ML WI NESSES I NVEI VTOR.- W mzzmmjrjrwsez z;

Dec. 8; 1931. I I w. F. KIESEL. JR 1,334,952

\ FREIGHT CAR END CONSTRUCTION Filed Sept. 25, 1930. s Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR: l l zllzamflfzesegfi;

BY I TTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FREIGHT CAR END CONSTRUCTION Application filed September 25, 1930. Serial No. 484,257.

My invention, while relatin generally to freight cars, has particular re ation to cars having slope floors leading from the ends to hoppers located centrally of the car body,

6 and the inventio'nis directed to the end construction of such cars.

One object of the invention is to provide improved means for strengthening the top rail of the car body at the corners, said means serving also in some instances to support the top rung of a ladder.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved bottom corner assembly including a push-pole pocket and side step support, the bottom corner assembly being braced from the car center sill rather than from side sills, and there being no connection from the side trusses of the car body to the end sills so that ready access may be had to the various appliances housed beneath the slope doors at the car ends.

Still other objects and advantages characterizing my invention will be apparent from: the description hereinafter of one embodiment or example of the invention, having reference to the accompanying drawings, whereof:

Fig. 1 represents a top plan view of one 3 end of a hopper car.

Fig. H represents a side elevation of the same, as indicated by the lines II-II of Fig. l.

.e ig. 111 represents an end view of the 3 same. 7

Fig. IV represents an enlarged perspective view of a cornerca-sting for the top rail of the same.

Fig. V represents an enlarged perspective view of a bottom corner casting of the same.

Fig. VI represents a sectional view of one end of the car. taken as indicated by the lines VI-Vl of Fig. VII; and,

Fig. VII represents a vertical section of 45 one end of the car, taken as indicated b y the lines VHVII of Fig. VI.

The body of the hopper car comprises generally side walls 1, end walls 2, and slope floors 3 leading to hoppers which are not 59 shown in the drawings. Running centrally of the car throughout its length is a center sill 4 of common construction. Near each end of the center sill 1 and disposed above the center of the car truck there is a transverse body bolster 5 supported on the sill and inclined toward the center of the car. The body bolster 5 and triangular castin s 6 disposed on the center sill 4 adjacent the olster 5 support the slope floor 3 as described in my conding application for Letters Patent,

erial No. 484,256, filed September 25, 1930.

To provide for maximum capacity while permitting the car to be easily dumped without obstruction of the lading, the side walls 1 are inclined inwardly at 7 toward the top 05 side rail 8, and are similarly inclined at 9 toward the end wall 2, the side walls 1 and end walls 2 joining at corner posts 11.

The top rail comprises side and end members 8 and 10, preferably in the form of Z- bars with upstanding flanges 12 at the outside of their horizontal webs 13, and depending flanges 14 riveted to the side and end walls 1 and 2. At the four corners of the top rail, top corner brackets or castings 15, shown in detail in Fig. IV, are employed. Each top rail corner bracket or casting 15 is formed with arms at substantially right angles with each other and having a flat horizontal face 16 substantially in the plane of the webs of the Z-bars 8 and 10, and a continuous upturned flange 17 disposed at the outside of the flat face 16 at the points where the casting 15 is riveted to flanges 12 of the Z-bars 8 and 10, and extending at 18 across the web 16 to the inside of the top corner casting. Each top rail corner casting or bracket '15 is also formed with 9. depending flange 19 adapted to be riveted to the side and end walls 1 and 2.

Each top rail corner casting or bracket 15 is also preferably formed with an additional narrow downturned marginal flange 20 extending from the end of Z-bar 8 where it overlaps the casting to the end of Z-bar 1O where it overlaps the casting. Along the face 16 of one or more of the top corner castings 15, holes 21 are provided to accommodate grab irons 22 forming the top rungs of side and end ladders. For this purpose 10 corner castings not only form rigid stiffening members for the top rail, but one or more of them may also serve as an upper terminus for a ladder. Furthermore, it will be evident that the top corner castings 15 are so 15 designed and fitted to the neighboring parts thatthere are no cavities or projections for the accumulation of coal dirt or other matter likely to accelerate corrosion or deterioration of the parts of the car body.

Extending transversely across the car above the center sill 4 there is an end sill 24 secured to the car body by the corner posts 11 and intermediate end posts 25. At each end of the sill 24 there is a bottom corner casting 26, shown in detail in Fig. V. The bottom corner casting 26 includes a transversely extending portion 27 formed with a push-pole pocket 28 and a longitudinally extending portion 29 which supports a side step 30 and in some instances forms the lower terminus of a ladder. The bottom corner castings 26 are also formed with horizontal gussets 31 to which are riveted diagonal braces 32, the other end of eachbrace being tied to a plate 33 on the center sill 4 adjacent the body bolster 5. It will be evident from the drawings that there are no side sills extending to the ends of the car, and that the bottom corner castings 26 and end sills 24 are braced entirely from the center sill 4 and are independent of the bottom of the car body. This construction provides a large unobstructed space beneath the slope floor sheet at each end of the car for the accommodation of the various appliances customarilyhoused at the ends of hopper cars, and; it permits ready access to this space.

At one or more corners of the car a side The side ladder 39 comprises a number of rungs 37 secured to the corner post 11 on one side and to a ladder bar 34 at the other side. The ladder bar 34 is shown with its upper end attached to the side wall 1 at 35 and with its lower end attached to a flange 36 on the bottom corner casting 26. The end ladder 40 is shown with its bottom rungs bridging the corner post 11 and an end post 25 and with its upper rungs secured to the end .wall 2.

It will be apparent, therefore, that in some instances the bottom corner casting 26 serves not only as a push-pole pocket and side step support, but also as the lower terminus of 05 the side ladder. To the bottom corner castladder 39 and end ladder 40 are provided.

ing 26 there may'also be added a bracket 41 for the accommodation of a coupler operating rod 42. v

While I have described my invention in some detail and with reference to a s ecific embodiment thereof in a hopper car, 1t will be apparent, especially to those skilled in the art, that various changes may be made in the form of the invention as herein described without departing from the spirit of the claims which follow hereinafter, and that some of the features of my invention may [at times be used to advantage without a corresponding use of other features.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a freight car end construction, a top rail comprising side and end members, and a top corner casting joining said top rail members, said top corner casting having a horizontal face substantially in the plane of the top rail and adapted to accommodate a grab iron forming the top rung of a ladder,

from the center sill of the car and otherwise disconnected from the bottom of the car body.

3. In a hopper car end construction including a center sill, side and end walls, and a slope floor, vertical corner posts having upper portions tied to the side and end walls and lower portions extending downward below the slope floor, bottom corner members having push pole pockets at the lower ends of the corner posts, an end sill joining-said corner members, and diagonal braces for supporting said corner members on the car center sill, said corner members beingotherwise disconnected from the bottom of the car body.

4. In a hopper ,car end construction including a center sill, side and end walls,'and a slope floor, vertical corner posts having upper portions tied to the side and end walls and lower portions extending downward below the slope floor, an end sill joining said corner posts, said end sill being braced from the center sill of the car and otherwise disconnected from the bottom of the car body.

5. In a hopper car end construction a vertical corner post, top and bottom corner castings secured to said corner post and forming respectively the upper and lower termini of a ladder, said bottom corner casting innae-sous cludin a usb pole pocket and supporting a side s tep beneath the ladder.

6. In a hop r car end construction a center sill, an en sill on said center sill, bottom 5 corner castings at the ends of said end sill, and supported independently of the bottom of the car body, and diagonal braces connecting said corner castings withsaid center sil 7. In a hopper car end construction, a bottom corner casting including in an integral piece a transverse portionforming a. push pole pocket, a longitudinal portion forming the lower terminus of a ladder and a flat gus- 15 set forming a point of attachment for a brace from the center sill of the car.

, v In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name at Altoona, Pennsylvania,

this 2nd day of September, 1930. WILLIAM F. KIESEL, Jn. 

